Articulator



Ju`30, 1931; l J. A. sTREKER 1,812,381-

I ARTIGULATOR Filed May 1. 1929 2 sheets-sheet 1 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIlUHIH IN V EN TOR.

Bxl/@Mm A TTURNEYS.

z June 3o, 19.31.

J.-A. TREKER AHTICULATOR Filed my 1. 1929 2 Sheetsmshat LPatented June 30, 1931 PATENT ori-*reza JOSEPH A. ystuannnn, vor rncvrnnivcn, RHODE ISLAND f 'ARTICULATOR Application mea May 1, 1929. .serialr No. 359,558.

vThe presentinvention relates to the class of devices known as dental articulators, and

has particular reference to a construction for holding dentures for the proper shaping of 5 false te'eth,finlays, crown and bridge work. i-The principal object of the invention is the provision of a dental articulator in which the mandibul'ar' motions and the occlusional relations of the human jaw may be accurately 1G simulated. j

' Another object-is' to provide an instrument which will reproduce average jaw movements,- thus eliminating any need for multiple adjustments, and requiring use of the l5 hunanl jaw for inal ultimate adjustment On y i A third objectv of theinvention is to provide a'n articulator which normally reproduces central occlusion, and which maybe 2U positioned Ato reproduce right-lateral, leftlateral-, or protrusive occlusion, as desired. f

A further object is the provision of an articulator of this type which is simple inconstru'ction, is inexpensive tol manufacture, and i'seasily assembled. F urther: objects and advantageous features will be' readily apparent from4 the detailed description following in rconjunction' with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig'. 1 is a top plan View ofthe improved articulator iin central occlusion position.

Fig."2""is ay side 'elevation' of- Fig. 1, the dentures and supportingblocks being indicated'in dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is a central sectional view of Fig. 2. Fig. a isa'top plan view, partly in' section, y ofv the artcu-later adjusted for` left-lateral contusioni i j Y F ilgsfand 6 are respectively views of the incisor -gu'i'de and guide block` in perspective, and partly in section. j f

The proper mounting of a denture requires a relative movement of the upper land' Vlower plates which will accuratelyl simulate the moven'ients of the human jaws, the lower human aw'be'ing hinged so as to move backw'ards, upwards-,and laterally 'at' the same time. f'lhe improved articulator therefore hinges the apparente on a crass rou to move @entrane-ware mi dewneau, meutrel the cross rod in inclined slots in the frame so that a backward movement will cause a simultaneous upward movement, and pivots the cross rod at a point in back of the inclined slot mounting by means of a rearwardly extending` pin so that a horizontal movement of the upper plate will also cause a lateral shift of the upper plate. An irregular movement of the incisor guide pin on the inclined guide surface can thus be made to produce a corre- 0.0 sponding backward, upward, and lateral movement o f the upper plate with respect to the lower plate. Qln addition, if it is desired toobtain right-lateral, left-lateral, or protrusive occlusion, the cross bar may be ini- 65 tially set to reproduce the natural occlusion' byy adjusting a pair of setting screws which shift the cross-bar ends along -the inclined slots.

Considering Figs. 1 and 2, the articulator comprises a base 10, generally T-shape, having' a guide block 11 integral therewith at' one end. Two vert-ical bearing standards 12 are removably positioned at the ends ofthe cross piece in machined slots 13, by means of ,studs 14.; a similar stud 15 engages block 11,

cooperating with the studs 14- to form supporting feet forthe articulator. At the center and to the rear of the cross piece, in alignment with the guide block, is an offset bearing standard 16', removably secured to the base 10 by screws or the like 17.

Each bearing standard 12 is enlarged at its upper end 18 to provide an angularly-disposed, preferably radial, bearing slot 19 ,which receives afcylindrical cross'bar`20,

small bosses 21 in each upper end 18 of the bearing standards having manually adjustable setting screws 22 in alignment with slots 19 for set-ting the cross bar, as herein- 9 after described. v

The base of each slot19v has a small projec tion 19, preferably formed yas the lhead of an small set screw or the like, inset into the base of the slot, thesmall projectionbeing con- 95 tacted by the `cross bar in order to facilitate accurate initial setting, and in use, to minimize friction. f

The bearing standard 16V which is set to theJ r'e'alrof the pivotedcross hat" Q0, has an ein I larged upper end 23 with a central tapered recess 24 at one end thereof, and a central bore 25 at the other end thereof, of smaller diameter than vthe recess 24 in order to provideal thrust shoulder 26. Slidably and swingingly positioned within the recess and bore is one end of a pinmember 27, the other y end being secured, .as by threadingor the like, to a yoke 28 which has bored arms 29 slidably positioned on cross bar and locked in cenf tral position thereon by vset screws or the like.'

One arm of lthe yoke is internally screw Y threaded to receive a threaded bushing 29al like. f

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which bea-rs against the end of the upper link 30 to lock said link 30 in proper aligned position and to take up wear, this bushing being secured to the cross bar by a set screw or the Rota-tably mounted between the arms 2901i the 'cross bar 20 is an upper link 30 split at its vforwardendand recessed toreceive an inf.

cisorguide pin 31; the guidepin is adjustably positioned, by means of a wing bolt tightener 32, vertically above the inclined guide plane 33 of the guide block 11, in order to permit the f jaws'ofthe denture to be positioned the same distanceapart as the human jaws were atthe time the dental impression was taken. ,A coil spring 34; on thepini-27 abutsagainst the yoke,-the cross bar, and the upper link for- 35 v erturedplates 35, 3 6, removably secured there-A to bythumb screws 377, 'for receiving the blocks shoulder 26 at one end and against the yoke 28Y at theA other end, thus normally forcing the wardlyinto central occlusion lposition for zthe denture. s x

f The base 10V and theupper'link 2O have apand` the dentures indicated in dotted lines in ,The PBIaIl df improved articulator is as followsp- Y 4 'Blocksot plaster, 'suchas indicatedV iin/,dots` ted lines in Fig-2, are setonthe'upper'andlower articulato-r plates to receive the upper and lower trial'plat'es of the denture, thear-l Y ticulator plates .beingI secured to the base-and y 5.0vr

upper link oi the articulator by the thumb screwsh'lhe incisor guide pinis theniset to properly position the denture 'in conformityv withthefhuman jawV position, the setting screws being in retracted position to permit central occlusionv .of the denture, although, if v desired, these. setting screws may '-be. adjusted to provideright-lateral, left-'lateral or! protruding occlusion, in Yaccordance with the pa-y tients human jaw formation.

A backward movement offthe incisor pin on the inclined guidejsurface willf.cause therupper.; plate to move backward and up,-

ward; al side-movement ofthe guide pin .will

causethe'upperplate to-swing on rits pivot at the rearof. the cross bar, and will alsoy cause 'a lateral, bodily shift of* theupper plate aand* ag Y rotative or oscillating movement of the guide yP111 0,11 the 1Aallais,Sillffas .will causethe'upper,

plate to move so as to exactly simulate the average movements of the humanjaw. This relative plate movement` thus prepares the denture so that the final ultimate adjustment in ythe mout-h of the patient is-greatly curtailed.

`While I have 'described and illustrated af speciiic embodiment of @my inventionQI desire it to be understood that-'I do not limit.V

myself to this construction, as it is evident that the application ofthel invention may be varied in many ways within the scope of the "following claims.

cross bar, and ajaw-receiving element on said movable element. y Y

2. In a dental articulator, a base, 'a jawreceiving member on said base, bearing standf4 ards on said base, slotsin. saidl bearing standards, a cross bar having its endspivotally and slidably mounted in said slots, a Vrearwardly positioned bearing standardon said,

base, a ypivot'V pin'mounted said rearwardly-positioned standard perpendicularlydisposed to and secured to said cross-,hama movable-element'fmounted on said cross bar, andaj aw-receivingrielementon said` movable element. f .1 Y- *Y v l 3. lnf a dental articulator,a base, a jawreceiving-member on said base, bearing standards on said base, slots in said 4bearing standards, aV -cross vbar' .pivotallyand slidably mounted in said slots, setting screws mounted adjacent saidy slots for *adjustably initially setting said cross bar in said'slots, a rear,

wardly-positioned bearing standard Onsaid base, fa-pivot pin mountedin said positioned standardperpendicularly disposed to and secured to said cross bar, a movable element; mounted on said cross bar, anda jaw-receiving element on said movable element. v

ceivingmember on saidbase, bearing standards on said base having guide slots, a cross bar having ,itsv ends slidably' and rotatably mounted in said lguide slots,a movableelement mounted on said cross bar,a Jaw-receiving member on said movable element, andmeans for pivoting said cross bar about a-point to therear of saidbearing standards. f

vr5. In 'ai dental articulator, a base, a jaw-re!v ceiving- -member onsa-id base,bearing stands 'ards on said base, slots in said bearing stand-fY ards, a cross vbar'rotatablyand slidably mounted :in saidY slots, ainolvablev element mounted on saidjcross par, Va jaw-receiving .Y v 4. lnza dental articulator, a base, a a-wremember in said movable element, an additional bearing standard on said base in rear of said bearing standards, a recess therein, and a pivot pin mounted in said recess and secured to said cross bar.

6. In a dentalarticulator, a base, a jawreceiving member on said base, bearing standards on said base, slots in said bearing standards, a cross bar rotatably and slidably mounted in said slots, setting screws adjacent said slots for positioning said cross bar in said slots, a movable element mounted on said cross bar, a jaw-receiving member on said movable element, an additional bearing standard on said base in rear of said bearing standards, a tapered recess therein, and a pivot pin mounted in said tapered recess and secured to said cross bar.

7. In a dental articulator, a base, a aW-receiving member yon said base,-bearing standards on said base, slots in said bearing standards, a cross bar rotatably and slidably mounted in said slots, a movable element, an additional bearing standard on said base in rear of said bearing arms, a recess therein, a pivot pin mounted in said recess and secured to said cross bar, a guide block on said base having an inclined guide surface, and an incisor guide pin adjustably mounted on said movable element and adapted to contact with said guide surfaces. f

8. In a dental articulator, a base, a jaw-receiving member on said base, bearing standards on said base, slots in said bearing standards, a cross bar rotatably and slidably mounted in said slots, setting screws adjacent said slots for positioning said cross bar in said slots, a movable element mounted on said cross bar, a jaw-receiving member in said movable element, an additional bearing standard on said base in rear of said bearing arms, a tapered recess therein,`a pivot pin mounted in said tapered recess and secured tosaid cross bar, a guide block on said base having an inclined guide surface, and an incisor guide pin adjustably mounted on said movable element and adapted to Contact with said guide surface.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature'.

JOSEPH A. STREKER. 

